Sliding caster



April 26, 1932. c. A. scHAcHT 1,855,844

SLIDING CASTER Filed May 8J 1931 Patented Apr. 26, 1932 UNITE STATESPATENT QFFICE SLIDING- CASTER Application led May 8, 1931. Serial No.536,026'.

This invention is a novel improvement in sliding casters for use onbeds, chairs and other articles of furniture; and the principal obj ectof the invention is to provide a resilient 5 sliding caster which willbe economical to manufacture, having a cushion body of resil- Y ientrubber, with a caster pintle mounted therein having a universal rockingmovement with respect to the caster body, whereby when 10 the caster isapplied to a chair leg or the like,

the chair can be tilted but the universal movement of the pintle willallow the base of the body to remain flat on the surface of the floor atall angles, thereby preventing' sharp corners or edges of the chair orother furniture legs from digging in, and from making ugly scars andspots on the floor; hence my novel casters will give longer life tofloors and floor coverings. My sliding casters may be applied to the.furniture by merely removing fio Y universal rocking movement permittedthe the ordinary caster and replacing same with my caster in the samesocket.

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying dra-wingwhich illusi tra-tes several practical embodiments thereof to enableothers to adopt and use the same; and will summarize in the claims thenovel features ofconstruction, and novel combinations of parts, forwhich protection is depintle. l

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section thro-ugh a modified form ofcaster.

Fig.. 5cis an enlarged vertical section `through a further modified formof caster.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are views showing the casters applied by riveting` orbolting to conventional legs of metallic furniture.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 my novel sliding caster preferably consistsofl a substantially conical or semi-colical body 1 of soft resilientrubber or other yieldable material, having anv axially disp-os-ed recessla in its upper end of greater diameter than the pintle 2, said recessla extending downwardly about half of theheight of the body l.

Below the recess la is a reduced cylindrical and axially disposed borelb adapted to snugly receive the lower end of the pintle 2 adjacent itsball head 2a in order to maintain the pintle 2 normally in verticalposition while yieldably permitting universal rocking movement thereof,as inl-Fig. 3; said portion 1b also maintaining the pintle 2 properlycentered in the resilient body l with its head 2a in the seat 3a,hereinafter described.

Below theV reduced bore 1b is a recess 10 adapted to snugly receive thehead 2a of pintle 2, the material of therubber body below the recess lcbeing cut away as at 1d to expose the head 2a when positioned in therecess 1c, whereby the head 2a of the pintle may engage the raisedsocket portion 3a of the metallic cup-like shell 3 which embraces thelower portion of the rubber body l as shown in Fig. 2. The. recesses orbores la, 1b, lc and 1d are all preferably preformed by molding in therubber body and the pintle 2 is inserted therein from the undersidethrough recess lcl by forcing the pintle therethrough until the head 2aseats in its recess lo. Preferably a shoulder le is also molded in thebody separating the bore 1b and recess lo, said shoulder being adaptedto engage the flattened upper end 2b of head 2a of the pintle in orderto prevent the head 2a from being pulled upwardly out of recess 1c andhence entirely through the body 1.

Around Vthe lower portion of the rubber body l'is a metallic cup-shapedshell 3 adapted to fit tightly around the lower end o f the body, theshellbeing provided at its center with a raised socket seat 3a extendingupwardly into the recess ld, so that when the pintle 2' is forced intoposition in the body as shown in Fig. 2 the head 2a will rest in themetallic socket 3a, whereby the pintle i may have a universal rockingmovement with respect to the body l, as shown in Fig; 3.

' The rubber body l is preferably larger than the inside of the slidingmetallic shell 3. While there are a number of ways of inserting therubber in the shell, I preferably insert the rubber in the partiallyformed shell 3 and then by means of a press contract the upper end ofthe shell around the body to lock the rubber securely therein.

The caster pintle is preferably made with an offset collar or shoulder2c disposed within the recess portion la of the rubber body 1, saidcollar or shoulder limiting the downward movement of the plug or plate Pmounted on the pintle which carries the furniture leg L, said downwardmovement under Weight of the furniture compressing the flexible upperrim of the rubber body 1 to form a yieldable cushion. The collar orshoulder 20 however on the pintle may be omitted if desired. Any type ofplate or plug may be used in connection with the pintle.

By the above construction the pintle 2 is permitted a universal rockingmotion with r-espect to the body 1 and shell 3, whereby when the chairor other article of furniture is tilted the sliding caster will remainseated squarely on the surface of the floor while the pintle 2 mayreadily assume the angularity of the furniture leg, thereby preventinginjury to the floor.

The caster shown in Fig. 4 is substantially the same as that shown inFig. 2, except that the rubber body 11 is of somewhat less height; alsothe recess 11a in the upper end of the body 11 is also of less depth.The pintle 12 is somewhat modified, same being provided with the collar120 upon which is seated a perforated plate Q, adapted to be screwedagainst the lower end of the furniture leg L; and the shank of pintle 12is loosely riveted as at 12e over the upper face of plate Q.

In Fig. 5 a slightly different modification is illustrated, in which theball head 22a of the pintle is entirely embedded in the rubber body 21and does not extend downwardly to engage a seat (such as 3a in Fig. 2)in the metallic shell 23. In this modification the spherical recess212C' for the ball head would be formed by molding in the rubber body sothat the pintle head 22a'could be forcibly inserted therein from theupper end of the body. The metallic shell 23 has no offset seat., suchas 3a; and the rubber body 21 has no recess corresponding with 1d inFig. 2 for exposing the head 22a through the lower end of the body 21.The shank 22 is provided with the collar 220, but no flattened surfaceon the head 22a (such as 2b in Fig. 2) is provided for in thismodification. Such flattened surface would interfere with the readyremoval of the pintle from the recess 217. Shank 22 may be provided withany type of plate or plug, but as shown, the plug P1 is of theexpansible type, same being' formed of a strip of metal bent intosubstantially rectangular form and perforated at its top and bottom forthe passage of the pintle 22. A washer P2 is inserted between the plugP1 and collar 220, and under weight of the furniture the washer may bedepressed suliiciently to seat upon the collar, the soft upper end ofthe body 21 forming a resilient cushion for the weight of the furniture.

In Figs. 6 and 7 the pintles are shown connected with conventionalmetallic furniture legs P3, the upper end of the pintle 32 being rivetedas at 32]c in Fig. 6 to the furniture leg; and pintle 42 is, bolted tothe leg P3 as at 42g in Fig. 7. In Fig. 8 the upper end of the pintle 52is bolted as at 52h to a cap P* which is secured to the lower end of themetallic leg P5 of the furniture. lVashers P2 are inserted between thelegs P3 and cap P4 and the body 1 of the casters. The method ofattaching the pintle to the leg may be varied as desired.

I do not limit my invention to the exact forms shown in the drawing, forobviously changes may be made therein within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A sliding caster, comprising a resilient body having a bore thereinwider at its top than at its lower end; a pintle having a head at itslower end centered in the bore and adapted to pivot universally of thebody; and a shell mounted on the body.

2. ln a sliding caster as set forth in claim 1; said pintle having acollar thereon disposed within the enlarged upper end of the bore forlimiting the compression of the body due to weight supported by thecaster.

3. A sliding caster, comprising a resilient body having a bore thereinwider at its top than at its lower end; a pintle having a ball head onits lower end centered in the bore, and adapted to pivot universally ofthe body; and a shell mounted on the body having a raised socket portionopposite the lower end of the bore forming a seat for the ball head.

4. In a sliding caster as set forth in claim 3; said pintle having acollar thereon dispos-ed within the inlarged upper end of the bore forlimiting the compression of the body due to weight supported by thecaster.

5. A sliding caster, comprising a resilient body wider at its base thanat its top and having an axial bore therein wider at its top than at itslower end; a pintle having a ball head centered in the lower end of thebore and adapted for universal rocking motion with respect to the body;and a shell on the body having an axially disposed raised socket portionopposite the lower end of the bore forming a seat for the lower end ofthe pintle.

6. In a sliding caster as set forth in claim 5; said Vpintle having ashoulder thereon disposed within the enlarged upper end of the bore forlimiting the compression of the body due to weight supported by thecaster.

7. A sliding caster, comprising a substantially conical resilient bodywider at its base than at its top and having an axial bore molded widerat its top than at its bottom; a pintle. having an enlarged ball headcentered adjacent the lower end ot the bore and adapted for universalroc-king motion with respect to the body; and a metallic shell embracingthe lower portion of the body and having an axially disposed raisedsocket portion entering the lower end of the bore and forming a seat forthe lower end of the pintle.

8. In a sliding caster as set forth in claim 7; said pintle having acollar thereon disposed within the enlarged upperend of the bore :torlimiting the compression of the body due to weight supported by thecaster.

9. A sliding caster, comprising a resilient bo-dy wider at its base thanat its top; and having an axial bore molded Wider at its top than at itsbottom; a pintle having an enlarged ball head centered in the lower endof the bore, and adapted for universal rocking motion with respect tothe body; and a metallic shell embracing the lower portion of the body.

10. In a sliding caster as set forth in claim 9; said pintle having acollar thereon disposed within the enlarged upper end of the bore forlimiting the compression of the body due to weight supported by thecaster.

11. A sliding caster comprising a substantially semiglobnlarresilientbody wider at its base than at its top and having a moldedaxial bore wider at its top than at its bottom; a pintle having anenlarged globular lower end centered in the lower end of the bore, andadapted for universal rocking motion with respect to the body; saidpintle having a collar thereon disposed within the enlarged upper end ofthe bore; and a metallic shell on the base of the body having an axiallydisposed raised socket portion entering the lower end of the bore andforming a seat for the lower end of the pintle.

12. A sliding caster comprising a body having a bore7 with an enlargedrecess at its lower end; a pintle in said bore having an enlarged headdisposed Within said recess, and a shell mounted around the body havinga seat for the pintle entering the lower end of the recess.

13. A sliding caster comprising a body of non-resilient material havinga bore with an enlarged recess at its lower end and an enlarged recessat its upper end; a pintle in said bore having an enlarged head disposedwithin said lower recess and adapted for universal rocking movement withrespect to the body; and a shell of slidablle material mounted aroundthe body having a seat for the pintle entering the lower end of thelower recess.

14. A sliding caster comprising a resilient body 0f substantialthickness having a bore extending therethrough with enlarged recesses atits top and bottom; a pintle in said bore adapted to pivot universallyof the body having an enlarged head disposed in the bottom recess; and aslidable shell for the body having a raised seat entering the bottom recess for the pintle head.

15. A sliding caster comprising a resilient body of substantialthickness having rounded edges and having a bore extending therethroughwith enlarged Vrecesses at its top and bottom; a pintle in said boreadapted to pivot universally of the body having an enlarged headdisposed in the bottom recess; and a cup-shaped shell having its edgesrolled around the body, said shell having a raised seat entering thebottom recess for the pintle head.

CLIFFORD A. SCHACHT.

